Batting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Completing the DC Grays Collegiate Challenge undefeated, Harvard baseball moved to 4-0 with a sweep of Lafayette and Coppin State, 6-0 and 6-2, on Sunday at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy.

Senior Matt Hink led the Crimson offense with two home runs and four RBI in the opening outing, while sophomore Patrick McColl added a two-run blast of his own in game two. The jacks helped Harvard move to 4-0 for the first time since the 1986 season.

Game One: Harvard 6, Lafayette 0

The Crimson opened the Sunday slate with a 6-0 blanking of Lafayette, led by a complete game shutout from junior Ian Miller. The right-hander allowed only one hit on the morning, while striking out a career-best eight batters. The nine innings were also a career-high for Miller, who tallied his second complete game in a Crimson jersey.

Offensively, Hink dialed in on a pair of home runs, giving him three total on the season in as many games. The two homers were a career-best for the first baseman, who matched his previous high with four RBI. Junior Matt Rothenberg also brought home a baserunner in the game.

The Crimson opened the scoring with three runs in the fourth inning, buoyed by a pair of Leopard errors. Senior Josh Ellis reached first after a throwing error by the second baseman, and stole second just moments later. A second error by the Lafayette infield allowed Ellis to come around to score the first run of the game. One batter later, Hink connected on his first home run of the game over the left field fence.

Lafayette tallied its only hit of the game in the fifth inning, but Miller subsequently shut down the Leopards' offense. Hink homered for the second-straight at-bat in the sixth, plating sophomore Patrick Robinson. Robinson finished with a game-high three runs.

Rothenberg capped the scoring with a double into the gap in right center scored Robinson from second, bringing the tally to 6-0.

Game Two: Harvard 6, Coppin State 2

Capturing its fourth-consecutive triumph, Harvard hit past Coppin State in the final battle of the tournament, 6-2. Rothenberg tallied a game-high three hits, while McColl notched his first-career home run. On the hill, sophomore Kevin Stone earned the victory after scattering five hits and one run with two strikeouts over five frames.

McColl opened the scoring with a two-run opposite field home run in the fourth inning, which allowed freshman Chad Minato to score. The Crimson lead jumped to 3-0 later in the inning after an RBI-single from sophomore John MacLean. Coppin State added a run in the top of the fifth to pull within two.

After trading runs in the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth, Harvard put a stamp on the game, 6-2, with two runs in the latter half of the eighth. An error by the Leopards allowed sophomore Chase Aldridge to score, and one batter later a sacrifice fly from Skinner ended the scoring for the game.

Freshmen Grant Stone and Hunter Bigge combined to pitch the final four frames, holding the Harvard lead in their debuts.

The Crimson travels to Jacksonville for a four-game series March 10-12. The opening game of the slate will be broadcast on ESPN3.